


Blinded

by Lady_Lala



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:40:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22353499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lala/pseuds/Lady_Lala
Summary: Oh, hello, everyone! It is I, Varian, a man of science (specifically alchemy), a man who doesn't dabble with silly things like magic. A man who needs no faith, after all, if you can't see it, well, it must not be important. A man who can't trust anyone else's help because I know first hand that you can't depend on others, no matter how hard they try, they will always let you down.At least that's what old me believed. After a brilliant experiment went horribly wrong, I lost my sight and was forced to either, A: live a life shut in my lab, not trusting anyone to help, and trapped in my own head, not having the faith to step out. Or B: trust my friends that they know what they're doing, have faith in what I can't see, and accept the existence of some other force other than science (namely magic).So, if you're up for an emotional, magical, and utterly unmanly adventure, come and join me as I learn to see the world with new eyes and help the girl of my dreams see herself in a way she could never see in a mirror.
Relationships: Cassandra/Varian (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 17
Kudos: 53





	1. Blinded: Varian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hello, everyone, Varian here, someone suggested I rewrite this chapter from the third person to my point of view. I'm not sure which I prefer, so feel free to let me know what you like best in the comments.

Part 1: Blinded  
Varian:

"Gah! Blast it, what was I thinking?"  
There I was, laying flat on my back in the middle of my lab, the latest experiment splashed all over my face. 

"O-ow oo hoo hoo... that hurts... a lot." I groan as I try to wipe most of the chemical of my face, but it feels as though my skin is being peeled off too. groaning I grope around on the floor until I find a nearby table and use it to hoist myself up off the ground. "Okay, let's just, ow, stay calm, and get this-this, stuff out of my eyes."

Finding a clean (as far as I can tell) test cloth I use it to wipe some of the experiment off my face, and, making a concentrated effort, try to open my eyes. But I immediately regret doing so when they start to sting uncontrollably, and the area around begins to burn even worse than before. the pain is enough to bring me to tears, but the salty drops only amplify the searing pain. leaning against the table I grit my teeth, " gah, Okay, no opening the eyes, yet. Let's just take it easy and don't pass out from the excruciating pain coursing through your eyes. Easy! Just-just get some water in there and clean yourself up, and-and everything will be fine. Yeah, I-i got this."

moving from the safety of the table I made my way through the mess of my lab, arms outstretched to keep from colliding with any walls. Getting to the sink proved to be harder then I thought with all the broken vials and supplies littering the floor. I had never really made an effort to keep things tidy, after all, I knew exactly where everything was, and it's not like anyone ever comes to visit...

"W-whoa, ahh!" tripping over something about the size of a large box I threw my hands out to stop my fall but the object is just the right hight that it caches my knees and I land on my stomach my entire body draped over the box. "oof! aw well, that wasn't so bad..." just then the box tips over and sends me sprawling on my back and banging my head on the hard floor. 

"oof, gah ow..." Groaning I reached down to rub my bruised knees "well, that happened, note to self: I have got to clean my, ow, floor." sitting up I immediately got dizzy as a pounding headache coursed through my skull. "oo that's gonna leave a mark. and probably a concussion too." moral of the story: cleaning is not a waste of time!

after a moment I used the box that I had just somersaulted over and pulled myself up ignoring the pounding headache. "ow Okay, onward, to the sink-Oof! (you really know your level of intelligence when you walk straight into the same object twice, especially after you just used it to pull yourself up after the first time) That-that was the box, again. well done Varian old chap! you've managed to run into the same box twice. Wait, no... no a table. Ah, yes, its a table, that would explain why it tipped over so easily. Ah ah ah, focus Varian, focus. Um, let's see...where is that sink? where-where am I?"

I was still in my lab, of course, but I was completely turned around and disoriented. I could have been going in circles for all I knew! maybe I should just wait here until dad gets back from the castle...  
No. dad couldn't find me like this. He'd freak and band me from doing alchemy and then... 

"wha-whoa! what the?"

a blinding light interrupted my train of panicked thoughts. my eyes were shut tight, but white spots were erupting everywhere in the darkness. Squeezing my eyes shut harder only made the light spread faster, so I dared open them.  
Gasping, harsh white light filled my vision, and I blinked hard, trying to adjust to the blinding light.  
I should have been relieved that the suffocating darkness was gone but this light was harsh and painful like waking up to the sun in your eyes but without the warmth. my eyes couldn't seem to adjust, and all I wanted was to get away from the blinding light.   
After a stunned moment, I shut his eyes tight, hoping to block out the white light. But, my eyes... they-they wouldn't close!   
pulling off a glove I gently reached my hand up to my face, and... my eyes were closed. But the light, it was still there, blinding as ever! 

"Oh no, this is bad. This is very, very bad. I-i can't see... anything! Well, aside from the light, and it's making my headache worse. Ow, and my face still feels raw. What is this stuff going to do to my skin?! and my hair, I'm pretty sure I got some in my hair. I really need to rinse it off; who knows what my experiment will do... Wait, are those footsteps?" I couldn't tell, the ringing in my ears and the pounding headache were getting in the way of my other senses. yep, I definitely got a concussion.

"Hello? anyone home?"

uhuh someone was in the house."Blast it, can't get distracted!; but I suppose i can't help it, I'm a very distracting guy,." yep, I definitely got a concussion.

Someone was coming down the stairs into my lab, and I was utterly defenseless, and frankly, I was terrified. I may have been joking around just a moment ago, but that's just how I cope with pain, well physical pain at least.   
It was all I could do not to crumple up and just let the stranger have me. Before dad had been... had been out of commission (encased in amber), my worst fear was going blind, and now that had actually happened. I was in pain, I was helpless, and I was scared.   
Not feelings I enjoyed, so time to stand up and face this stranger head on! No need to let the stranger know I was in a bad situation. "All I need to do is keep a cool head and act like nothing is amiss." 

"Varian, was that you?"

oops, I had spoken out loud again, hadn't I? It was a weird quirk that had been forged of many years alone in my lab with no one to talk to.

"Hello? Varian?" uh oh, the strangers still here and doesn't seem like they're leaving any time soon. gotta say something!  
"Uh, no. Varian's not home!"

Gah! what was I thinking? The concoction and pain were definitely making me loopy.

"Oh, really? Then where can I find him?" the stranger said suspiciously.

That voice was familiar, but I was way too out of it to figure out who. time to play it smoothly.

"Um... depends. Whos asking?" well-done self! smooth as a rat on rollerblades.

"Who-whos asking?! I'm offended!" okay maybe not so smooth. "I can't believe you don't recognize my extremely masculine voice. It's me, Eugene. It hasn't been that long since we last spoke. ah there you are... whoa."

it was Eugene, what timing! boy was I glad to see him. but no, I've got to be tough if team awesome was making a come back I've got to prove I can handle myself in a tough situation. its what Flynn Rider would do, and even if Eugen wasn't THE Flynn Ridder, he would always be Flynn rider to me.

"Oh, yeah, I-i knew that. I can see you just fine, ya know... uh, What-what do ya need cuz I 'm-I'm a little busy at the moment." yeah, that sounded tough!

"Uh, Varian? Behind you, and whats-whats with the new hairstyle... oh no. Varian, what happened?"


	2. I'm not about to leave you: Flynn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is up everyone? it's me, the amazing and incredibly good looking Eugene! Varian asked me to tell you guys what happens in this next chapter cuz its all a blur for him. So, being the gracious man I am, I will grace you with my point of view for this next chapter. Enjoy!

Part 2: I'm not about to leave you.  
Flynn:

"Ah, there you are... whoa."

I could see Varian standing in the middle of the lab, broken glass, and supplies littering the ground around the kid. That wasn't so unusual, Varian's lab was always a mess. But the kid's hair... whoa. Instead of its usual black color with streaks of gray and that one weird blue stripe in the front, it was white, like, platinum white. And, if I wasn't mistaking, it was slightly glowing in the dim light of the lab.

"Oh, yeah, I-i knew that. I can see you just fine, ya know... What do you need cuz I 'm-I'm a little busy at the moment."

What? How could Varian 'see me just fine'? He was facing the opposite direction. And what did he mean he was busy? He was just standing there!

"Uh, Varian? Behind you, and whats-whats up with your hair..."

"What?! What's wrong with my hair!"

Varian turned around and was now facing my direction.

"oh no."

Varian had a distinct bleached aria around his eyes nose and cheeks as though someone had splashed bleach on his face. Even Varians freckles where... wait a minute. Where they blue? Yes, the freckles in the bleached area had turned slightly blue! Ha, blue freckles who would have thought? I almost laughed out loud... until I looked into the Varian's eyes.  
They were open wide, staring blindly in my general direction. Instead of those big gray-blue eyes with huge black pupils, they were electric blue, even the pupils.   
concerned, I made my way to Varian, careful not to knock anything over or break any glass.

I knelt and laid my hand on his scrawny shoulder. "Varian, buddy, what happened?"

"gah!"

Varian jumped back as though he had been shocked, and shoved my hand off his shoulder. 

"whoa, jumpy much?"

"I- I didn't realize you were that close!"

"no kidding."

"it's not what It looks like, I promise! See I-I was just and then ... oh, who am I kidding? I probably look like a mess, this probably looks like a mess. Heck, I don't even know what it looks like now! I just, I was adding the moonstone, and it didn't turn white, so I, well... and then bang!"

"Whoa, okay, calm down." the kid was freaking out, and frankly he was freaking me out too. 

"I only took my goggles off for a moment! It wasn't supposed to explode! Why did I take my goggles off in the first place? ugh, I'm such an idiot!"

Varian buried his face in his hands and immediately cried out as his gloves rubbed against the bleached area that was still raw and tender.

"gah! ooooowwww oh gosh, that hurts! ahahah, please Eugene help me, it stings, it's excruciating!" 

"Whoa, it's okay, kid," I admit I was losing my cool, all I wanted was a reinforced frying pan for rapunzel (maybe something that would fly back into her hand after she threw it, cuz that would look awesome). I was completely unprepared for this-this drama. "I got you, don't worry." the kid was a mess, with bloody knees and a scraped up face. "We need to get you cleaned up and to the infirmary..."

"Wait, no! I can't, my-my dads at the castle! If he sees me like this, he'll freak, and-and he'll never let me practice alchemy again and..."

"But Varian..."

Varian was grasping my shirt now, as though it was the only thing left in the world, and he'd fall if he let go.

I couldn't handle this on my own. This was a job for someone who had things like empathy and who was good with kids, not me. But I knew just the person. "Okay, Let me at least get Rapun..."

"No! The princess can't see me like this!"

"Look, Varian, I know..."

The kid was devastated and I was about to leave for help, but looking into those pleading eyes, they reminded me of the older orphans I'd seen all those years ago. That same look of pleading in their eyes as they begged there parents not to leave them. Grasping their father's shirt, just like Varian was doing now.

"Okay, we'll try and do this on our own. But I need to know what happened..."

I stood up from off the ground, but as I did so, he lost hold of me and cried out in fear as he fell forward.

"Aa! Wait, no, don't go!! Please!"

Catching Varian before he could hit the ground, I scolded myself for not realizing just how vulnerable Varian was at the moment.

"Whoa, hey it's okay,"

The fear etched in the boy's young features, and the pleading in those now sightless eyes broke my heart as I tried to comfort him.

"It's okay, I'm here, and I'm not about to leave you."


	3. I wonder what Cassandra is doing right now.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well Hello again, it's me, Varian, and these next few chapters are what happened before the unfortunate accident that happened in the previous chapters.  
> This particular chapter happens the day before my brilliance exploded in my face (literally). I create an amazing new chemical quite by accident, with the help of an incredible element of my own invention known as Cassandrium, though I will call it Cassandrite for now.

Part 3: I wonder what Cassandra is doing right now?  
Varian The day before:

Sighing, Varian got to work on his latest project, fast working bleach. Not the most exciting thing, he had to admit, but he couldn't be picky these days.

"Here we go, hundredth times the charm, right? Please work..."  
Varian pleaded as he poured the new concoction of bleachy chemical onto yet another test cloth.  
"Aw fudge cakes."  
Varian didn't even blink as instead of turning white, the fabric burst into blue flames, once more.  
"Uhg, why won't you work, you stupid piece of cloth?! Why must you sit there and do nothing but burst into flames?" Varian said, frustrated. "I-I'm sorry I just really need you to work. Old lady crowly will be here to pick you up any day now," Varian hunched over in a poor imitation of the cranky old crown. "and she's expecting, 'no less than perfection you whippersnapper!' and you know how she is!"  
The blue flame said nothing.  
"And here I am talking to a piece of cloth," Varian said, burying his head in his gloved hands.

Ordinarily, Varian loved doing alchemy to help the people of his town, but lately, he had to charge people for any little job they asked him for, and he felt awful.  
Varian hated having to use his gift for personal gain. Still, Varian and his father had fallen on hard times ever since old Corona was relocated after the black rock incident, and they were barely scraping by.

"Listen, I'm gonna be 16 soon; its-its time I contributed to the family.  
But, no one seems to want an "unstable, insecure, accident-prone teen alchemist who attacked their princes and tried to overthrow the kingdom" as an apprentice believe it or not." Varian said, chuckling. "so I'm stuck making cat hair repellent and slow-melting ice for spar change. But, we need the money, and every last coin counts."  
no response from the test cloth.

"and why am I still talking to an inanimate object?" Varian asked himself again, taking off his gloves and rubbing his eyes. It was getting late, and a full moon was just starting to rise.

"it's beautiful, The moon... just like Cassandra. I wonder what she's thinking about right now? if-if she regrets it as I did..?"

Varian's eyes began to sting as he thought of Cassandra and the horrible betrail she had pulled on Rapunzel. Shivering, he wondered if the hurt he was feeling now was how rapunzel had felt when he had betrayed her? Varian felt terrible for what he had done to Corona and the worry he had put the princes through.  
Varian had tried to make amends, and people kept telling him they forgave him, but he didn't think he would ever get over his guilt and shame.  
"Whew! no need to get stuck in the past, again," Varian said, straightening. "I have a job to get done!"  
stretching Varian pulled his gloves back on and was just about to get back to work when...

"Huh. That's... interesting." Varian said, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow like a curios puppy.

There was a slight glowing from under a test cloth. Pulling the fabric aside, it revealed the small piece of Cassandrite Rapunzel had returned to Varian the day she told him of what happened at black rock castle.  
The small crystal had changed color from deep purple to pure white and was slightly glowing! Dropping everything, Varian crouched down to examine the element more closely.  
Oh, and by "dropped everything," he literally dropped everything.  
The bleach he was holding fell out of his hands, and Varian watched as it splashed all over the glowing stone. With a blinding flash, the spilled bleach was gone, replaced with a mess of white past covering the table.  
Varian nearly choked when he saw how much the precious piece of Cassandrite had shrunk, obviously being corroded by the bleach past. There's no way I'm going to lose you! Varian cried as he held the delicate piece in his hand.  
Rapunzel had said that Cass had carried it with her the whole time, and she had only found it when Cass had left the castle leaving the Cassandrite behind. Rapunzel had told Varian that Cassandra would have wanted him to have it.  
Varian still couldn't believe Cassy had really carried this with her that whole time. May-maybe there was hope; maybe it wasn't so crazy to think she might come back and fall for me one day!" Varian said hopefully, holding the stone to his chest.  
No, he was crazy; Cassandra had probably only taken the element with her cuz she thought it might be useful.

Varian carefully placed what was left of the crystal in his apron pocket, and began to wipe the paste off the table.  
"Beautiful mother of alchemy!" Varian exclaimed in aw as he saw what the white past had done to the previously stained black wood.  
Wherever the past had touched was pure white.  
Inconceivable! More tests need to be run, the implications are incredible, just one problem, only a bit of Cassandtite left. No. there's no way I'm going to lose my last connection to the girl of my dreams. not even in the name of science!"  
But a little wouldn't hurt, would it?

So, carefully scraping a bit of Cassandrite into a glass vail, Varian proceeded to add just a drop of bleach. Now that the amount of bleach was proportional to the Cassandrite, the mixture turned a bright white. Pouring the concoction on to the already white table resulted in a fantastic transformation. Standing in front of him was the table, but where the bleached area had been, it had turned entirely transparent! Varian could see right through it as though it were made of glass.

"Made of glass... hmm?"

Varian shoved the table over, expecting the top to shatter into a million pieces, but instead, nothing happened other than a heavy thud as the table fell onto the wood floor.

Utterly in aw, Varian stood it back up and examined it for dents and scratches, but other than the cuts and scrapes that had already been there, it was completely unharmed.  
"Inconceivable! Incredible! Fantastic! Amazing! A complete breakthrough in the science of alchemy!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry the first few chapters have been so... depressing. I feel like after what Varian has gone through recently, especially Cassandra's betrail, he would be going through a hard time, even if he'd never admit it. But don't worry, I hope to lighten the mood soon with some good Team Awesome moments!.


	4. BEST DAY EVER!!! : Varian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greetings everyone, I'm back! A big thank you to Eugene for helping me out the last chapter, as he said, it was all a blur for me but this next chapter I remember like it was yesterday...

chapter 4

There was a knock on the door, and I ran upstairs to see who it was.

"Hi, Varian."

It was the princes!

"Oh! Hello, your highness, I-i mean Rapunzel. Come in, come in! How-how can I be of service?" I say clumsily.

"Oh, I don't need anything, I actually came to offer you something," she replied with a bright smile.

Reaching into the satchel at her side, Rapunzel held a bag of coins out to me.

Surprised and confused, I accepted the bag from her. "Wha-whats this?"

"It's the relocation charity money the king has been offering to everyone who was affected by the black rocks," she answered kindly.

the heat rushed from my face as I realized what the money was for, "ha, see, the funny thing is my-my dad just left a day ago to, uh... well, to tell the king that he was-was declining the charity money." I say, embarrassed.

rapunzel smiled warmly, "I know. Your Quien arrived yesterday but, I really think you and your dad could use it; I mean, its the least I can do after what happened to him, and, after all, it's my fault you and your dad had to be relocated in the first place..." 

Wait, what? did the princes really blame herself for what happened? it wasn't her fault at all, it was mine! "Rapunzel, no. If it weren't for you, my dad wouldn't be here. I'm-I'm forever in your debt for what you did for my father, for what you've done for me! If anybody should be offering their help to anyone, it should be I. I looked down at the bag of coins in my hand, suddenly feeling undeserving of them. "your highness, you've already done so much for us so, if my dad won't accept the money from the king, I can't accept it from you. Not after what I did..." I held out the bag of coins to her.

Then the princes did something completely unexpected, she-she put her hands on my shoulders and looked straight into my eyes and said with tears suddenly in her warm green eyes... she said:

"Varian, now you listen to me. You are the most kind-hearted, helpful, creative, and compassionate person I know. You are something special, something this world desperately needs. not only are you kind-hearted and compassionate, but you're determined and ambitious. No matter what happens, you're sure to get through, no matter how difficult or how many times you fall, you will never, ever give up. You've more than proved that to Corona by making up for your mistakes and then some. you've made more than just your father proud, you've made all Corona proud."

We were silent for a moment, and I felt so unworthy of her prase. I could hardly breathe as she looked at me with those kind eyes. Did the princes of Corona hold me in such high esteem? Did Corona?

"Do you really think that princes?" I whispered.

"Of course I do, Varian!"

Throwing her arms around me, she held me there in her warm embrace like I was the most important thing in the world to her at the moment. I felt like I would melt right then and there.

"Are you sure there's no way you will take the money?" Rapunzel asked as we finally pulled out of the hug and made our way down the stairs into my lab.

"I'm sure..."

"What is that?!" Rapunzel interrupted pointing to the Wightegen table in the corner.

she ran over to where the table was standing, examining the transparent top from every angle.  
.d completely forgotten about it.  
"Oh-oh, that? That's just a little I was working on, that's all." still in a daze i had completely forgotten about my latest experiment. 

"Its beautiful, Varian! A work of art!" rapunzel exclaimed as she explored the new discovery.

"I-I was thinking more along the lines of "a wonder in alchemy," but-but that works too," I say pleased with her reaction.

"It is incredible, how do I make one?" she asked excitedly as though she could just paper mache one right there on the spot.

"Well, uh, hehe it doesn't really work like that... you know what? You can have it, I've already run all the experiments I need to." I'm not sure exactly why I said it, but I felt like it was the right thing to do. besides, the table would be kind of hard to explain to my dad...

"Oh, Varian, I could never, it's too much."

"No, go ahead, I insist."

rapunzel bit her lip and looked from me to the table a couple of times. then she seemed to have come to a decision and, Running over to me, she wrapped me in her warm embrace yet again, and I thought for sure I'd pass out or float away. "Varian, I love it! Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you?"

I pulled away from the warm embrace, "Oh, please don't worry about it. you've more than..."  
something fell to the floor, and she stooped to pick up the bag of coins.  
Rapunzel looked from the coins to me and gave a small smile.

"How about a trad? ill pay for the table with the coins, deal? 

"Rapunzel I..."

"I won't take the table unless you accept the coins."  
"but, i..."

"Varian, I insist," she said, stubbornly.

"Oh, ok. Th-thank you." I say finally, rubbing my neck.

"No, Thank you, Varian!"

Still feeling like I was floating, I helped carry the table out to the carriage and stuff it in.  
The princes of Corona, Rapunzel, had hugged me, twice!

"BEST DAY EVER!!!"


	5. First Rule of Alchamy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone we have almost caught up to the present time. This next chapter starts roughly an hour before my accident.

part 5: An hour before the accident: Varian's point of view:

I could hardly contain my excitement as I set up the various vials and beakers getting ready for the moment of truth.  
I had tried replicating the bleach incident by placing different elements, stones, and crystals onto a table and pouring bleach on them. Trying to see if any of them could give me the desired effect the Cassandrite had given, without using my last piece of the precious element.   
At last, I had found the perfect replacement. Moonstone! I found it entreging that this semi-precious stone did the trick.

"Hmm, interesting... I wonder, does the moonstone have any connection with the strange new properties of the Cassandrite that had seemed to be strangely connected to the moon, which was now connected to Cass who... ah ah ah, focus Varian! There will be time to think about that later and now is not that time. Now is the time for science!"

"Now that I have found the perfect replacement for the Cassandrite (though Cassandra herself is irreplaceable, am I right), I will pour a precise amount of bleach into this here beaker. Then after letting the bleach settle, I shall add just a pinch of powdered moonstone, which, in turn, should trigger the critical color change from clear to white." 

At that moment, Ruddiger scurried in and jumped on the window sill tilting his head slightly as if to say:  
"Who ya talking to, buddy? Or have you finally lost it?" Either that or: "You didn't happen to see where your dad moved that food storage, did you?"

"Not now, Ruediger. Cant you see I'm busy, and it's not like you ever listen to what I have to say. It gets lonely down here, ya know, and myself happens to be a great conversationalist."

Looking at me slightly offended, Ruediger seemed to say, "Are you saying I'm not a good companion?"

"What, no! You're a great companion, I just..." 

Ruediger had jumped off the window sill and was santering out as though nothing had happened. 

"And here I am talking to a raccoon. You can't even talk back."

Turning around as he was about to walk out the door, Ruddiger looked at me with what can only be described as a smirk as though to say: "you never let that stop you." then quick as a flash he was gone.

"Well, fine then, be like that! Raccoons, am I right? Ok, back to the task at hand."

Getting to work, I began measuring and pouring. Everything was going beautifully, this was the kind of alchemy I lived for! Then, carefully measuring the powdered moonstone, I gently poured it in with the bleach and slowly mixed the concoction. It was happening; the crucial color change was taking place.

"Wha-wait a minute. Just hold on a sec."

There was something off about the liquid's color... was it slightly blue? No, it couldn't be, it was just my goggles they were tinted. Yes, that had to be it. Setting the vail down, I lifted the goggles off my face for just a moment. 

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no! Blue? Why was it blue?"

Picking the vial up, I put it right up to my face as though staring at it would make it turn white. All of a sudden, the concoction started to bubble, and I realized my mistake too late. The first rule of alchemy: never remove your goggles.

BANG!


	6. Eugene Fitzherbert, swallow your pride!

Present-day:

"Ok, up we go!"

Helping Varian to his feet, Eugene swung Varian's arm over his head to support the young boy as they began to slowly make their way up the staircase and out of the lab. 

Arriving at the top, they entered a large room with a cozy living area, a fireplace, and a large leather chair at one end, and on the opposite side (to their right), a kitchen where a small counter lined the wall and a large sink in the corner.

"Let's get you cleaned up, kid,"  
Eugene said as he helped Varian to the sink.

"My my."   
Said a rich accented voice behind them.  
"Whatever have you done to your hair, dear boy?"

Turning Eugene saw a large man with dark skin and a kind face standing in the open doorway. Smiling Xsaver began to make his way toward Varian, who was still facing the other direction.

"Dad is that you!?" Varian said, slightly panicked as he searched for the source of the query.

"Do I sound like your father, child?" Xavier asked with a small chuckle and a look of concern on his kind face. He had a very distinct speech and was seldom mistaken for someone else. 

"Listen, Xsav, not the best time. Varian had a bit of an accident and..."

"Oh my..."   
Varian had turned around and was now facing Xavier, a look of confusion and panic on his young features.

"Come, child, what has happened?"  
kneeling in front of Varian, Xavier peered into Varian's sightless eyes and examined the bleached aria on his face.

"Here, let me..."

"I'm sorry, who let you in?   
Eugene asked heatedly.

"The door was open," Xavier replied calmly. "and one does not need an invitation to help another."

"That's right, no one did! So you can just... hey wait a minute. What did you say?"

"Eugene, the young man, needs help, and you obviously do not know what you are doing."

"Don't know what I'm doing? Why... I... I don't..? Listen, I got here first, and I found the kid, so I'm going to be the one to help him! I'll make sure to let you know if we... wha- hey! Hey, put me down!" 

Eugene had left Varian's side and was trying to usher Xavier out the door, but the big man had simply picked him up and plopped him on the leather chair. 

"Wha- how dare you? That's it, I'm about to..."

"Eugene Fitzherbert! Swallow your pride, sit down in that chair, and let me help the boy!"

Laying upside down on the huge chair, Eugene opened and closed his mouth soundlessly as he looked up at the stern face towering above him and wished he could disappear into the deep cushions.

Nodding and swallowing hard, Eugene managed to squeak a timid "Yes sir" before the big man turned to Varian.

"Eugene? Eugene, what happened? What's going on? Where-where'd you go?!"

Panicking, Varian tried to back away as he sensed the big man coming toward him, but he began to fall as his legs gave way under him. Crying out, Varian felt two large hands catch him before he could hit the ground.   
Totally spooked, Varian tried to escape the stranger who had taken his only friend away from him. But it was no use, though the hold on him was gentle, it was incredibly strong.

"Hush child, it is I, Xavier. There is nothing to fear."

Xavier? That name was familiar, but Varian was too panicked to stop and think.

"Wha-what did you do to Eugene?!"

"Your friend is all right. I simply moved him out of the way, so I had room to work."

"Room to work? What are you working on?"

"Why you, of course! We need to take care of that nasty rash on your face and see what we can do about your blindness."

"Ha! See what you can do about my blindness? That-that's funny cus if-if someone is blind, then they cant see. So-so its a clever choice of words to say you will see about someone's blindness!" 

It wasn't very smart or funny, but Varian's brain was trying to find every coping mechanism it could possibly think of to help with the pain, panic, and multitudes of other emotions coursing through him at the moment. And the lucky coping mechanism is (drum roll please) humor!

"But, of course, you aren't the blind one, so-so I suppose it would be funnier if I had said something like that."

Xavier looked to Eugene with a quizzical eyebrow raised, and Eugene just shrugged and twirled his finger around his ear.

"Ah, yes, of course. How clever." Xavier said.

But Varian wasn't done quite yet.

"But technically speaking, I'm not blind because I can, in fact, see something," Varian said triumphantly.

"What? What do you see, child?" Xavier asked hopefully.

"White. White light, like when you wake up in the morning and the lights are on and..."

Xavier sighed and got to work rummaging in the cubers looking for bandages and ingredients for a healing salve.


	7. From Cassandrite to Mooncass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning...

Varian woke up to a blinding light shining in his eyes. Instinctively he put his arms out in front of him in an attempt to block the white light, but it was no use. He tried to blink, but something was covering his eyes, preventing him from opening them. Disoriented and slightly panicked, he touched the cloth wrapped around his head and realized they were bandages.

_ "Bandages? Who bandaged me, and if there's cloth over my eyes, then my eyes should be closed, and if my eyes are closed, how come I see that light?" _

These and a million other panicked thoughts raced through his mind as he tried to stay calm as nausea rolled through him.

Groaning as a pounding headache accompanied his scrambled thoughts, he leaned forward and buried his face in his hands only to be rewarded with burning pain as his fingers found tender skin right below the bandaged area.

That was it. Varian felt as though the room began to spin as the searing pain and freezing panic began to completely overcome him, preventing him from thinking straight. He was scared, hurt, and totally alone.

Then, right when he thought he couldn't take anymore, through all the confusion and panic, he felt, no, he sensed something.

There was no simple way to explain it, like a serene glow, he couldn't see, but the sensed was there, promising relief from the harsh, blinding light that was causing him so much agony. 

What he felt now was soft, inviting, as though he were standing under the star's glow instead of staring straight into the sun.

He was drawn to it like a moth to the moon, unable to resist the soft light it provided.

Reaching for the source of relief, he unconsciously felt inside his apron pocket, and his fingers wrapped around something smooth and cold around the size of a grape.

Suddenly, he felt like he was floating, his thoughts crystal clear, and the blinding light replaced with a soft, fresh glow.

Then, as suddenly as the sensation began, it was over, and he found himself sitting in a warm, soft bed. At least he assumed it was a bed, there was still a cloth over his eyes, preventing him from seeing his surroundings. Laying back down, he tried to make sense of what happened. He was disoriented, but other than that, he was fine, no headache, no blinding light, and the irritated skin seemed to have healed.

There had to be an explanation other than magic for this. Varian thought, ever trying to find the logic in the situation no matter how miraculous it seemed. But for once, he didn't need all the answers. All he needed was... what was that in his palm? It was the object he'd pulled from his pocket that had triggered the incredible experience. It was smooth and dense like a polished stone, intriguing. How did it get in his pocket? The last thing he remembered before waking up was scrambled thoughts and a deep accented voice encouraging him to sleep. Before that, was a blur, but he did recall working on some project... the glowing piece of Cassandrite... an explosion... wait, the Cassandrite! It had gone through a transformation, and then he had dropped it in the bleach past, almost losing it. Then he had put it in his front pocket and...

He reached into his front pocket and felt around for the small crystal but found nothing. Panic gripped his heart as he began to feel around on the bed for the precious element. Then a thought occurred to him, could it be that the small polished stone in his hand was the Cassandrite? Had it undergone another change? Yes, that had to be it. Fascinating!

Grasping the stone in both hands, he sighed and put it back in his pocket. He felt drained, but it was a satisfying feeling like after a productive day of alchemy. He briefly considered falling asleep, but there were far too many unanswered questions to let him rest.

Varian twidled his thumbs and fidgeted with the smooth piece of Cassandrite he had renamed Mooncass. It had only been a couple minutes since he had found the stone in his pocket, but it felt like hours. Who knew how long he'd slept or how long he'd been awake, and he was getting impatient. He didn't mind being left alone for extended periods, but sitting there doing nothing was agony. He hated doing nothing, he had to keep his hands moving, always doing something to keep his mind stimulated, or it'd drive him crazy. 

Just when he was about to get up or explode, he heard distant voices coming toward him from his left. 

"...and that is why the crow never stole from the raven again."

_ "I know that voice." _ Varian thought as he heard footsteps coming his way.

"Xavier? Is-is that you?"

The voices quieted, then a pair of footsteps started toward him.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" a new voice said, "If I have to listen to one more legion of the mol hog and the wart rat, I'm gonna lose it!"

Flynn complained loudly.

"Flynn, you too? Where am I? Who-who's bed am I in?"

"One question at a time, young one," Xavier said with a chuckle. "You are in my home and-"

"I'm at the smith shop?" Varian asked, slightly surprised.

"No, of course not! It would be much too loud there. We are in my home outside of the village at the edge of the forest." Xavier explained. "You didn't really think I lived at the shop, did you?"

"Well, maybe a little..." Varian replied, feeling foolish.

"Don't worry, kid. You weren't the only one who thought ol' Xav lived in that dingy place." Flynn scoffed. "Uh, no offense," he added quickly.

"None taken, my friend," Xavier replied mildly. "As for your second question, Varian, you are currently occupying my sons' bed."

"You have a son?!" Flynn and Varian asked at the same time taken aback.

"Is he gonna want the bed back?" Varian added warily. The last thing he needed was some big man hunting him down for sleeping in his bed.

"I had a son, yes, but he will not need the bed back any time soon, I'm afraid," Xavier said, the sadness apparent in his voice.

Varian was shocked to know that Xavier had a son, if not anymore, but he was also curious to know of this son's whereabouts. But the sadness in Xavier's voice told him not to ask, and for once, he kept his mouth shut.

Eugene, on the other hand, did not seem to have that same self-control.

"Oh, what happened?" 

"We do not know. But it is safe to say he is not in this world any longer."

_ "What is that supposed to mean?" _ Varian thought. "Is he dead? Am I sleeping in a dead man's bed?!"

The room went uncomfortably silent.

"Well, whos hungry?" Flynn asked loudly to break the silence. "I know I am!"


	8. They Can't Come Running

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trust and self doubt issues? Pff, never! Well, maybe a little...

"Woah!" Varian cried out as a large pair of hands lifted out of the warm bed. "You don't think you could've warned me before picking me up like a sack of potatoes?" he asked a little annoyed.

"My apologies, young one. I will make sure to say 'up we go' before picking you up in the future." Xavier replied with a chuckle.

"It's not funny, Xav," Varian complained as the big man set him down on the ground. "Please, don't pick me up again, its... disorienting."

_ "and terrifying." _ he thought to himself. 

"You doing ok, Varian?" Eugene asked, concerned.

_ "No, not really," _ Varian thought glumly,  _ "I can't see a thing, I've got sticky bandages all over my face, and I jump like a spooked raccoon every time something brushes against my skin. So, no, not great." _ but aloud, he said, "yeah, I'm doing fine! Great considering last time I was conscious, I was a puddle on the floor."

Eugene laughed, "Yeah, that and making the worst puns I've ever heard!"

Varian didn't say anything and was glad bandages were covering his face as he could feel his cheeks grow warm. He was ashamed of the helpless way he'd acted in the basement when Flynn had found him and the stupid puns he'd attempted to make when Xavier had come to the rescue.  _ "If dad could see me now." _ Varian thought as Eugene guided him through the house to the dining room. 

" _ My dad!" _ Panic and dread griped Varian's stomach at the thought of his father finding him like this.

"Is my dad back?! Does he know what happened? Has he banished me from alchemy for the rest of my miserable existence?"

"Whoa, calm down, kido! Don't worry, your dad isn't back from the castle yet and has no idea what happened, no need to get worked up."

"Oh, ok." Varian said, taking a deep breath, "whew still got time."

"Time for what?" Eugene asked, raising an eyebrow, "You only just woke up, so don't even think about doing anything sciency. You need time to recover. I'm surprised you're doing so well in just a day.

"A day! Have I been out that long?"

"You better believe it, slept like a rock."

"But then my dad should've been back from the castle. Did something happen?" Varian asked, concerned.

"Oh, no, I'm sure he's fine," Eugene said, siting Varian down at a table, then scooching a chair out for himself. "Rapunzel said she'd keep him busy for us..."

"You told the princes!" Varian exclaimed.

"Oh, right, didn't you specifically ask me not to do that?" 

Varian opened his mouth to inform Eugene he had, in fact, ask that of him, but Eugene hurried on. "Listen kido. She would've found out sooner or later. So, it was telling her and convincing her to stay behind and keep your old man bussy or her figuring it out on her own and come running with half the kingdom. Which would you prefer?"

"I-I suppose the latter would be worse," Varian sighed.

"Exactly. What do you have against Blondy helping out anyway?"

"Nothing, It's already bad enough that you and Xavier dropped everything for me, again, but the princess has obligations. After what I did to her and everyone..."

"Varian, Varian," Eugene said, dragging a hand across his face, "how many times does Rapunzel, myself and all of Carona, have to tell you?"

Varian sighed, "Carona and the royal family forgive me and have forgotten the whole ordeal."

"Yes! Enough of this regret business, ok, it's not healthy. The past is in the past. Sure, you screwed up and are still screwing up, but that's what makes you human, and we love you for it!"

"But I keep messing up, Eugene! I've learned I can't depend on others to save me. People just can't come running whenever something happens, and they shouldn't! I should be able to take care of myself, carry my own weight, not depend on the rest of Corona to fix my problems."

"You're right," Eugene sighed, "we can't always come running, and we can't fix your problems, but we can certainly help you through. You've just got to let us."

"I-I can't."

"Varian, buddy, we are here for you. I know, it's been rough, you're coping with a lot of stuff, but you've got to trust us. There was a time when things were so simple, Cassandra was wasn't an evil jerk, just a regular jerk, Rapunzel wasn't worried about you every waking hour, only every once in a while, you weren't an angsty teen hitting puberty and..."

"Wait. What?"

"Don't worry, it's a natural thing. happens to everyone eventually, just got to you a little late."

"No, not that, you said the princes worries about me?"

"Almost as much as she worries about Cass."

"Really?"

"Does that surprise you?"

"I just, I'd hoped she would've forgotten about me after I'd fixed the castle..."

"What? No! Why would she? How could she? Moving on doesn't mean forgetting!"

Eugene sighed, "Ya know; Rapunzel asked to deliver that charity money to you personally."

"Yeah, she told me."

"You know why?"

"She said she knew I-my dad wouldn't accept it otherwise."

"Not just that, she missed you."

"She-she did?"

"Does. We hadn't heard from you in months. After cleaning up the castle, you disappeared back to your lab. She knew Cassandra's loss would be hard on you, almost as hard as it was, is for her."

Varian's chest tightened, and his heart filled with regret of not realizing it would be even worse for the princes. He had to be the most self-centered jerk in the kingdom.

"I'm sorry." he finally said quietly.

"What for? Destroying the kingdom as a welcome home, sorry your best friend turns out to be evil, present? Or for vanishing off the face of the planet? Yeah, that was a little inconsiderate, but you're missing the point! Xavier, you tell him!"

Varian heard the big man come over and set the table, "This reminds me of an old legend when..." Xavier began.

"Nope, never mind, I'm gonna stop you right there." Eugene interrupted, "The point is, Varian, you're right, we cant always come running to the rescue, but you should take advantage of when we can and trust us to help you... you..." Eugene trailed off, "I'm sorry, what is that heavenly smell?"

Varian could smell it too, sweet and savory spices wafted toward them as Xavier placed the steaming dishes in front of them

"Injera with savory rice, sweet potato beans, and seasoned lentils." he said, sitting down.

"Gotta say, smells better then it looks." Eugene said suspiciously, "What's the spongy flat stuff?"

"That would be the Injera. It is a sourdough flatbread, you use it to pinch up the fillings."

"Great, what's the green stuff?"

"Greens."

"Naturally, what kinda greens?"

"Healthy greens."

"You're scaring me."

"They are herbs fresh from my garden."

"Ok, but do these herbs have a name?"

"Spinach."

"Spinach!"

"Among other things."

"That's it." Eugene said, scooching his dish away, "I don't care how good that smells, I'm not touching it!"

"Well, I suppose Varian and I will have to enjoy desert all ourselves," Xavier said simply.

"Wait, no, what's for dessert?"

"I guess you'll never know..."

"Oh, confound it all!" Eugene cried, leaning back. 

"I have utensils if you like, Varian," Xaviar said when Varian was about to ask, "though, it is traditionally a finger food."

"Utentcials would probably be best, Xav, thanks."

"My pleasure."

After Eugene's reluctance to try the ethnic cuisine, Varian was hesitant, but his growling stomach urged him to take a bite. He didn't regret it. It was unlike anything he'd ever eaten. The spongy flat breadstuff, Injera, was slightly sour, like sour bread, and the texture was soft and pleasant. Together with the savory rice, sweet potato beans, and richly seasoned lentils, it made each morsel a delicacy like no other. 

"This is great, Xav, thanks!" Varian said, swallowing a mouthful.

"You are very welcome young one. Do you hear that Eugene? It is good. You should try some."

"Be glad you can't see what you're eating kid; it looks healthy." Eugene complained.

"I'm serious," Varian insisted, "it's like nothing you'll find around the castle or old Carona!"

"Oh, I'm sure you can find something similar in the sew..."

"How about you try it? You do not know you will not like it if you will not try it." Xavier scolded.

"Yes, mother." Eugene griped. Varian heard him scooch closer to the table, and after a moment, Eugene was kissing Xavier's feet, asking for forgiveness for ever doubting him.

"So," Varian said after he'd eaten all he could, "uh, what exactly does keeping my dad bussy look like?" he asked half curious half concerned for his father's sanity.

"Ha! With Blondy, you never know," Eugene said over a mouth full of food, "best not to think about it if you know what I mean."

This was hardly comforting, but before Varian could ask any more, he heard Xavier stand and clear away the dishes, and Varian gripped the side of his chair as it was pulled away from the table.

"Eugene is right," Xavier said, "let's not dwell on that for now. But I'm sure you are ready for fresh bandages."

"Yes, please," Varian said, eager to get the sticky cloth off his face for only a moment.

"You seemed to have improved greatly over such a short amount of time." Xavier commented, gathering ingredients, "What do you think made the difference?"

"Well, something kinda weird happened when I woke up, but it could also be that I had simply overreacted last night, or whenever it happened."

"I don't think so," Eugene said, getting up and moving towards him, "it was pretty serious. I mean, you were in terrible condition, all bruised up and your skin bleached, and your eyes, they were blue."

"Uh, my eyes are blue." Varian pointed out.

"No, they were completely blue, no pupils."

"Fascinating!"

"No, not fascinating! You were blind."

Varian was silent for a moment, it was all a blur, only shadows of the event remained, but he faintly remembered the excruciating pain and raw burns the chemical had left, now only slight throbbings. The blinding light had certainly happened, and it was odd that he could still see a faint glowing even though his eyes were shut, and bandages were covering his face.

"You said something strange happened when you woke up?" Xavier said, kneeling down.

"Uh, yeah, but I'm sure it was nothing." Varian lied, eager to get the bandages off.

"I'm sure you will tell me after you have fresh dressings," Xavier said, knowing there was more.

"Right, of course."

Xavier gently removed the cloth, and Varian felt a welcome breeze waft over his face as Xavier fanded him a bit.

"Oh, sweet coronation of Corona." Varian said blissfully, running his fingers through his sweaty hair, "Can I open my eyes?"

Eugene and Xavier were silent.

"You can't see anything?" Eugene finally asked.

"Well, I can't see through my eyelids," Varian laughed, "so can I open them or what?"

"They-they are open."

"Oh..."

**Author's Note:**

> I might change the plot or switch from the third person to the second person or do something drastic, so be prepared for anything.


End file.
